We become not a melting pot but a beautiful mosaic. Different people, different beliefs, different yearnings, different hopes, different dreams.
Jimmy Carter
Sunday, 4 April 2010
Tibet
Labels:
educate,
Tibet
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Tibet is a remote island that is located in western China. Tibet is bordered by the Indian region. During the 10th century Tibet began to fall apart which separated into separate regions. Tibet was under the rule of King Langdarma who repressed Buddhism in Tibet. Monks who practiced Buddhism were disrobed or killed. This sense of killing continued for many years to come. During 1206, Genghis Khan included Tibet in his empire. The Mongols allowed the Dalai Lama to have political power. The Dalai Lama is a monk filled with wisdom. In the modern day some people have attacked the Tibetans way of life. The Dalai Lama said “Today, the religion, culture, language and identity, which successive generations of Tibetans have considered more precious than their lives, are nearing extinction”[1]. The Dalai Lama is looked up to as a spiritual leader. The Dalai Lama is seen as a highly advanced Buddhist since this is what his life is dedicated to. He must save the lives of others while also saving the Buddhist religion by constantly practicing the religion.
As I look at this quote from the Dalai Lama I am compelled to think that poverty play a major role in this. There are over 78% of people living under the poverty line in Tibet. Many of the people face problems with food shortages, health care, education, employment and housing. These factors play a big role when determining the extinction rate. When a person lives without proper necessities they cannot see happiness. This allows people to lost motivation which in advertently affects their faith. Men feel very sad because they are not able to provide for their families. They may feel as if they are unable to be prideful men. It is a custom of their culture to make sure that the family is safe. Tibet also has a major concern that it must take action and this is their healthcare. Most Tibetans in rural areas must travel hours or days to reach a medical clinic. In an emergency, Tibetan children may be unable to reach an appropriate facility in time to avoid death. [2]
When I look at the cultural implications of the Mandala’s, I am inclined to think it plays a major role in the Tibetan culture. The universe is believed to have originated form harmonic hymns, the sounds contained the genetic patterns of beings and things. The word Manda is derived from the root manda, which means essence, to which the suffix la, meaning containing, has been added. Mandalas are usually displayed in two dimensions, and are found from paper, textiles, and colored sand. A mandala is an imaginary palace that is contemplated during meditation. Each object/ line of the mandala represents a form of wisdom. A mandala may also symbolize both mind and the body of the Buddha. This representation of mandalas has become a tradition. Different people have different traditions which show the shape, sizes, and color of the mandala. Mandalas remind viewers of the sanctity inside the universe. The purpose of the mandala is to put an end to human suffering, and to change the view of the world to a more peaceful view.
When I created my mandala I took all of this information into consideration. I wanted to safely portray what the mandala means and its role in a society. Since mandalas are perceived to be highly spiritual object I felt obligated to at least try to achieve perfection. I wanted to give the people and its culture the respect that they deserve. This was symbolic to me because as I look at the people and their life I sit astonished. The Tibetan people do not complain about their lives instead they work to make it better. I attribute this mainly to their deep sense of religion and its role in their society. I wanted my mandala to convey a sense of harmony. As I sit here looking at it I believe that I have represented the Tibetan people very well. I wanted to make their mandala art true spiritual art. I achieved a deeper sense of myself while I made this mandala. This is something that I believe more people should realize and experience for themselves. The mandalas help others achieve a deeper sense of self.
Who is Chiang Kai-shek?
Labels:
China,
communism,
educate,
Europe,
history,
Japan,
nationalism,
politics,
Russia,
Taiwan,
USA,
War
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Chiang Kai-shek (October 31, 1887 – April 5, 1975) was a political and military leader of 20th century China. He was an influential member of the Kuomintang (KMT, the Chinese Nationalist Party) and Sun Yat-sen's (a Chinese revolutionary and political leader) close ally. He became the commandant of Kuomintang's Whampoa Military Academy and took Sun's place in the party when the latter died in 1925. In 1928, Chiang led the Northern Expedition to unify the country, becoming China's overall leader. He served as chairman of the National Military Council of the Nationalist Government of the Republic of China (ROC) from 1928 to 1948. Chiang led China in the Second Sino-Japanese War, during which the Nationalist Government's power severely weakened, but his prominence grew.
Chiang's Nationalists engaged in a long standing civil war with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). After the Japanese surrender in 1945, he attempted to eradicate the CCP. Ultimately, bolstered by support from Soviet Russia, the CCP defeated Chiang, forcing the Nationalist government to retreat to Taiwan, where martial law was continued while the government still tried to take back mainland China. Chiang ruled the island with an iron fist as the President of the Republic of China and Director-General of the Kuomintang until his death in 1975.
Chiang's legacy has been target of heated debates because of the different views held about him. For some, Chiang was a National Hero that led the victorious Northern Expedition against the Beiyang Warlords in 1927 and contributed to unify China and subsequenly led China to ultimate victory against Japan in 1945. Some blamed him (often unjustly) for not doing enough against the Japanese forces in the lead-up to and during the Second Sino-Japanese War, preferring to keep his armies to fight the communists, or merely waiting and hoping that the Americans would get involved. Some also see him as a champion of anti-communism, being a key figure during the formative years of the World Anti-Communist League. During the Cold War, he was also seen as the leader who led Free China and the bulwark against a possible communist invasion. However, Chiang presided over purges, political authoritarianism and graft during his tenure in mainland China, and ruled throughout a period of imposed martial law and White Terror in Taiwan. His governments were accused of being corrupt from before he even took power in 1928. He also allied with known criminals like Du Yuesheng for political and financial gains. Some opponents charge that Chiang's effort in developing Taiwan was mostly to make the island a strong base from which to one day return to mainland China, and that Chiang had little regard for the long term prosperity and well-being of the Taiwanese people.
Today, Chiang Kai-shek's popularity in Taiwan is divided along political lines, enjoying greater support among KMT supporters. He is generally unpopular among DPP voters and supporters. In sharp contrast to his son, Chiang Ching-kuo, and to Sun Yat-sen, his memory is rarely invoked by current political parties, including the Kuomintang.
In the US and Europe, Chiang was often perceived negatively as the one who lost China to the communists. His constant demands for Western support and funding also earned him the nickname of "Generalissimo Chiang Cash-My-Cheque". Finally, he has been criticized for his poor military skills. He would often issue unrealistic orders, or persistently try to fight unwinnable battles, leading to the loss of his best troops.
In recent years, this view however has started to change. He is now increasingly perceived as a man simply overwhelmed by the events in China, having to fight simultaneously communists, Japanese and provincial warlords while having to reconstruct and unify the country. His sincere, albeit often unsuccessful attempts to build a more powerful nation have been noted by scholars such as Fenby or Mitter. The latter wrote that, ironically, today's China is closer to Chiang's vision than to Mao's one. He argues that the Communists, since the 1980s, have essentially created the state envisioned by Chiang in the 1930s. Mitter concludes by writing that "one can imagine Chiang Kaishek's ghost wandering round China today nodding in approval, while Mao's ghost follows behind him, moaning at the destruction of his vision".
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Today's Celebrations April 4th!
Labels:
Celebrations,
Lesotho,
Senegal,
Spain,
Taiwan
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Today is...
Heroes Day in Lesotho
Basque National Day in Spain
Children's Day, Memorial Day of Chiang Kai-shek, Tomb Sweeping Day and Women's Day in Taiwan
Independence Day and National Day in Senegal
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